Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-04-15
LlNCGLxsS REMAINS.
secret to be Revealed-Important &c.
uon ofthe Springfield Memorial Asso.
citation.
New YORK, April IA.

| Ever s1tce the atte mpt was made TO steal
Tue remains OF Abraham Lincoln at Sprino-
ne!o, ililnols. there has been a mystery az n
tue tAacI place where the ashes of the mar
yreo President are lying. This mystery is
W" aoout 10 he remuved The Lincoln Me-
: mortal Association, a local organization of
/ Springfield, which has for years held snnrn.
pirate services on the 18Th of April, will
make the whole matter public at the service .
10 occur tomorrow IN Representatives nall Al,
Inc state capitol. The organization was os-
tehsloiy formed for holding these annual OBJ
servarces, but in fact il has been devoted TO
tue security of the Presidents remains. and
'he members have been bound together by
oaln 10 Keep their knowledge in regard TO the
resting place prfound secret. For some
uays they nave been preparing to move the
remains from the place where they have lain
for years and to place them beside the re-
mains of Mrs. Lincoln. The final prepara.
tions were completed Yesterday afternoon.
ano the removal was TO occur this morniag.
Inc most privacy has heea maintained
regarding all steps TAX n, and only general
| outline vi Iacts Is ascertainablt. The ssso-
clatlon has prepar> d a written statemt Mt.
however, TO te read II the services tam)rrow
glv;ng the history Of the keeping OF ,ne re-
mains and the assoc atoms relation n the
trust. The members are desirous of puttiDg
the public in possession of the exact facts
| and leaving the matter in such shape that
there shall no longer be any mystery or Sc
crecy in regard to It, The revelations to be
made will add interest to the memorial SER
vices of this year.
SPRINGFIELD, Ills, April IA
The remains of President and Mrs. Lincoln
were privately taken from their secret rest
ing place this morning and inferred ia he
north vaut of the Lincoln monument il Oak
Ridge cemetery near this city. Les. than a
dozen persons, members of the Lincoln Mon
ument Association and the Lincoln Guard of
Honor, were present
For years the whereabouts of tie remains
of the great President and his wife have been
kept secret for fear they would be stolen to
obtain huge ransom for thair return. The
body OF Lincoln was in a walnut coffin lined
with lead air-tight lining about an inch
thick
When the guards with the help of few
laborers had exhumed the coffins and the
lid OF the Presidents was removed his face
was seen to be in a remarkable state of
preservation. Those who stood around and
had known Lincoln when alive easily dis
cerned the features. They were very dis
tinct. The silver plate on the coffin lid as
bright.
While the remains of Lincoln were ex-
posed to view, Gen. Reese, president of the
guard OF honor, turned the remains of Lin.
coin over to the Lincoln Monument Associa-
| ton certificate was signed By members
of tho guatds of honor, certifying that The
remains in the coffin were those received
from the Lincoln Monument Association in
1878. The monument association made out
II certificate signed by members from the
records Of the Us ssociltion, declaring he re-
mains to be those of Abraham Lincoln. The
plumuer then sealed up the colin.
| In the north vault the floor has been taken
up and hole sft. long by eft. and 5t:t. deep,
bricked up, has been prepared. The Presi-
dents coffin will be placed in this grave on
the west side. The coffin containing Mrs
Lincoln's remains, which had been brought
| from the secret grave before the other coffin,
was then brought to the vault and placed on
the east side of her husband. A brick arch
was built over the coffins, and this was GOV
cred with cement mixed with small broken
rock. Two guards will be on duty at the
tomb until the cement dries.